Communication methods of a portable wireless communication terminal include a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication method (commonly utilized in Europe) and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) method. In order to guarantee compatibility between various network service subscribers, the GSM method uses a SIM card mounted within portable wireless terminals. The SIM card encodes and stores information utilized for operating the portable wireless terminal, such as a phone numbers, a network number and personal information of a subscriber such as a password. Accordingly, the portable wireless terminal provides a SIM card connector in a main Printed Circuit Board (PCB) housed in a main body and is designed so that the SIM card is electrically connected to the SIM card connector.
FIG. 1 illustrates a SIM card connector 1 mounted in an upper surface of a main PCB 3 of a portable wireless terminal. At an upper surface of the main PCB 3, a plurality of electronic component elements 4 are mounted, and a bottom surface of the SIM card connector 1 close contacts with the main PCB 3 to be securely fixed by soldering. A contact point (not shown) for electrical connection to the SIM card exists within the SIM card connector 1, and the contact point is connected through the main PCB to be electrically connected to a controller of the portable wireless terminal. In this state, as a user mounts a SIM card 2 in the SIM card connector 1 and detaches the SIM card 2 from the SIM card connector 1, the SIM card 2 may be electrically connected to the SIM card connector 1 and be electrically separated from the SIM card connector 1. In this way, the SIM card connector 1 uses a predetermined area of the main PCB as a mounting space.
In order to more effectively use an area of the main PCB, a size of the SIM card may be reduced. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a specification size of a mini SIM card 210, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a specification size of a micro SIM card 220. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the micro SIM card 220 has a size smaller than that of the mini SIM card 210, but specifications of contact points c1-c8 to electrically connect to the SIM card connector are the same. The SIM card may be classified into sizes such as a normal SIM card, nano SIM card, and a SIM card built-in to a terminal according to a specification size. SIM card have gradually been reducing down to ever smaller size for use in entire electronic devices.
Main circuit boards of electronic devices (such as a portable wireless terminals) generally possess a mounted SIM card connector of a predetermined size, and this may allow mounting of a SIM card of different size within the mounted SIM card connector. For example, a connector to mount the micro SIM card 220 is mounted on the main PCB, and when mounting the mini SIM card 210, a user may cut the mini SIM card 210 to resize it into a micro SIM card size. In contrast, a connector to mount the mini SIM card 210 is mounted on a main circuit board, and when mounting the micro SIM card 220, a user should insert and use a dummy adaptor 230 of FIG. 2C into the micro SIM card 220. A size of the dummy adaptor 230 is determined according to a size difference between the mini SIM card 210 and the micro SIM card 220.
In this way, because a conventional SIM card connector is mounted on a main PCB with a particular predetermined specification size, utilizing a SIM card of a size other than the predetermined specification size requires a user to additionally modify the SIM card, such as by cutting of portions of the SIM card to reduce their size, or the additional attachment of a dummy adaptor.